Jackson County Freedom Rock Memorial Honors Veterans

The Freedom Rock Tour is an idea conceived by the artist of the Freedom Rock, a painted boulder that symbolizes gratitude to our nation’s Veterans to honor their service to our country. The goal of the tour is for all 99 counties in Iowa to have a Freedom Rock site. The City of Bellevue was selected as the site for the Jackson County Freedom Rock Memorial.

IIW collaborated with the American Legion and the City of Bellevue to create a memorial that incorporates the donated Freedom Rock to honor veterans and their families. The City also wanted to improve the riverfront and create a point of interest where the public could gather and reflect.

IIW worked alongside a local high school student throughout the design process. The student provided input on the design and also attended city meetings, which included representatives from the American Legion.

To make room for the memorial and to eliminate the need for a retaining wall, the site was re-graded and fill was added. Since the memorial is exposed to the elements, we had to solve water runoff and drainage issues within the plaza. By sloping the base slabs, providing open drains in sections of the plaza, and using appropriate compacted fill, the water is able to escape and prevent ponding.